The Trussell Trust

Analysis

The Trussell Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Salisbury. It was registered in July 2005, 21 years ago. Its declared purposes cover general charitable purposes, education/training, the prevention or relief of poverty and economic/community development/employment, which this site groups under poverty relief. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 05434524). It says it makes grants to organisations, provides human resources and provides services.

In the financial year ending September 2025, The Trussell Trust reported income of £62.8m and spending of £75.2m, spending 120% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to September 2025, income grew from £57.8m to £62.8m (+8.7%), an average of +2.1% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2023, when income rose by 70%. Over the whole period it spent 98% of the income it received.

Among 15,276 England and Wales charities whose main cause is poverty relief and that reported income, The Trussell Trust sits at the 100th percentile: it is one of the largest 1% in its cause. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 100th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Farmland Reserve UK Limited (£57.9m), The King's Trust (£63.9m) and Compassion UK Christian Child Development (£53.2m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 95%, investments 3.4% and trading 1.6%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £1.0m. Charitable activities took 81% of spending and raising funds 19%. Grants to other organisations totalled £24.0m. Reserves of £13.0m would cover about 2 months of spending at that rate. It employed 335 people.